1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles and more specifically to managing multiple registered autonomous vehicles needing to replenish an onboard energy source within a defined geographic area and directing the autonomous vehicles to selected energy stations that will minimize energy replenishment times to meet passenger-defined travel destination time constraints.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the past many years, innovations within the automotive industry have created safer, cleaner, and more affordable vehicles. Now, the automotive industry is moving toward autonomous vehicle technology. An autonomous vehicle is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input. Autonomous vehicles can detect surroundings using a variety of technologies, such as, for example, radar, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), global positioning system (GPS) technology, odometry, and computer vision. Advanced control systems interpret the sensory information provided by these various technologies to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as, obstacles and relevant signage. Autonomous vehicles utilize these advanced control systems to distinguish between different vehicles on a roadway and determine a path to a desired destination. In addition, autonomous vehicles offer possible benefits to social welfare, such as, for example, saving lives; reducing crashes, traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and pollution; increasing mobility of disabled individuals; and allowing vehicle passengers to spend travel time engaged in other activities. Examples of autonomous vehicles may be, for example, cars, taxis, buses, vans, sport utility vehicles, trucks, semi-tractor trailers, and the like.